Hindustan Motors Limited shares its long history in the Indian auto market that dates back to 1942, a time when only three major car manufacturers were present. At that time, the company was leader in sales of passenger cars, till 1980. The line-up of products from the stable of Hindustan Motors included iconic Ambassador and government limousine. In particular, the Ambassador model did well in the Indian car market soon after its introduction in 1958. Used by taxi fleet operators and government employees, Ambassador still continues to ply on Indian roads. Since its inception, the car has undergone several mechanical and cosmetic changes but still it retains its old charm. The car is manufactured by Hindustan Motors at its Uttarpara plant near West Bengal.
During initial stages, Hindustan Motors gave away an Austin-designed B-Series 1.5-litre petrol engine, which was later replaced by the 1.8-litre unit, supplied by Isuzu. With the incorporation of this engine, Ambassador emerged as the fastest production car in the country at that time. At present, Ambassador is available in 5-engine options that are 1.5 DSZ, 1.8 Petrol, 1.8 CNG, 1.8 LPG and 2.0 DSZ. The car of Hindustan Motors is available in different models like BS III and BS IV emission norms. The 1.5-litre DSZ variant churns out a maximum power of 35.5 bhp while the peak torque of 72 Nm. Whereas the petrol trim gets 4-cylinder MPFI engine that has a displacement of 1817 cc. The maximum power and torque figures for this car stand at 71 bhp and 134 Nm of torque.
Ambassador's other variants like 1.8-litre CNG and LPG are mainly bought by taxi unions as they are available in BS III and BS IV models. The car still retains the five-speed manual transmission, synchromeshed with overdrive. In the meanwhile, the company recently launched Ambassador Encore, which offers higher power and torque output as opposed to the previous generation model. It must be noted that Ambassador is capable of giving away a better fuel efficiency owing to the BS IV engine.
With its Ambassador Encore model, the series has been infused with fresh life as an April 2010 ruling had banned the use of BS III cars in 17 prominent cities of the country. Therefore, the company had to revamp the production of Ambassador at its Uttarpara plant in order to meet the revised emission norms. At present, the auto maker has taken numerous steps on different fronts like financing, servicing and marketing to facilitate its sales. Currently, Hindustan Motors Ambassador carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 4.12 lakh for the introductory variant, which further goes up till Rs. 6.26 lakh for the top-spec trim. Since its launch, Ambassador has found a soft corner in the heart of car lovers, owing to its Indian touch. The car of Hindustan Motors is branded as the symbol of power and royalty as it is still used by bureaucrats and politicians.
